RANDOM JACK

Thursday, September 29, 2005

RANDOM NOTE: SLAMMING THE HAMMER

Beating up on Tom DeLay is too easy. The man wears his corruption on his face like a badge of honor. File it under: Who cares? Taking out the number two Republican in Congress is like eliminating the number two man in Al Qaeda (how many number two men can Al Qaeda have?): There are literally dozens ready and anxious to step into his corrupted shoes.

The job of House Majority leader (like the Whip) is to wield the hammer with absolute venality and to weather the inevitable blowback. It is easy to build the case that DeLay is the most corrupt figure in Washington but the claim is highly disputable. He is, however, among the most powerful.

Typically, when a man like The Hammer goes down (it remains to be seen if he will), he takes a great many colleagues with him. That is why his fellows in Congress are reticent to add fuel to the fire. It is also why we should continue to watch the proceedings closely. Only those who are clean or protected will dare bear witness against him. The corrupt will stand silent. If The Hammer is pinned to the wall or cornered like a rabid dog, that is when the show begins.